Cable assembly with a removable installation device

ABSTRACT

A cable assembly is described that includes a preterminated optical fiber drop cable having a connector body mounted on a terminal end thereof, and a removable installation device attached to a jacket of the preterminated optical fiber drop cable by an attachment portion, wherein the attachment portion includes a pair of tear tabs that provides tool-less removal of the installation device from the preterminated optical fiber drop cable.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The present description relates to a drop cable assembly with aremovable installation device to facilitate routing a preterminated endof the assembly from an outdoor terminal directly to an indoor walloutlet. In particular, the exemplary drop cable assemblies, describedherein, assist with passing a preterminated end of a fiber drop cablethrough a wall and/or through a conduit in a fiber to the homeinstallation

BACKGROUND

The deployment of fiber to the home (FTTH) service is occurring at anincreasingly rapid pace around the world, as service providers rush tooffer greater bandwidth to customers. Installed cost is a significantconcern for such service providers. Link loss is the insertion loss ofthe fiber span between an optical line terminal at a central office andthe optical network unit at the subscriber dwelling. Additionalconnectors or splices are needed at the transition between cable types,and may be necessary when passing from outdoors (i.e. outside of adwelling) to indoors (i.e. inside of a dwelling). Alternatively, a dropcable can be routed indoors within a conduit for a segment of thelength, transitioned to a smaller cable with a splice or connectionpoint, and then routed on the surface of the wall for the remainingsegment. Each of these types of terminations adds to link loss, andfurther adds to the link budget, degrading performance and adding toelectronics cost necessary for installation.

Installers often have to drill large holes to pass a connector end of apre-terminated drop cable through a dwelling wall. Cable penetrationsolutions have been in existence for a long time. However, as cablesevolve, especially fiber optic cables with pre-terminated connectors,the need for more sophistication in the penetration solutions isnecessary to enable access without damaging delicate components.Further, conventional cable penetration solutions can require tools toeither apply, and/or remove the protective covering from the cable oncea penetration has been made. Examples of cable penetration solutionsinclude a push rod and a pull sock, available from companies such asJonard Tools (Tuckahoe, N.Y.). Each of these solutions have featuresdirected to a particular type of cable installation. A push rod is stiffand has enough beam strength to be held in a cantilever fashion andinserted through a penetration hole and while it can be somewhatflexible (such as a fiberglass rod), push rods are not generallyflexible enough to be pulled through a tight conduit with small radiusbends. Conversely, a pull sock is generally quite flexible, with theintent of being pulled through tight conduit with a string connected tothe pull sock by an eyelet at the front end of the pull sock. Becauseflexibility in all axes is needed, the pull sock does not have the beamstrength required to be pushed through a long narrow opening (i.e. apenetration hole through a wall). The installer may not know whatenvironment they will encounter when installing cables in end userpremises.

Additionally, appearance of the installed product inside of the dwellingis a key concern for homeowners and landlords. Poorly routed and stapledcables detract from a property's value. The size of the cable which isexposed to the tenant if surface mounted can detract from the decor ofthe room. Further, installing fiber to the home is a disruption to thehomeowner's space. It is critical for an installer to be able to quicklycomplete an installation with minimal noise, drilling, dust or otherintrusions.

The presently described invention addresses all of the concernsdiscussed above, limiting link loss and budget, avoiding the necessityof large holes to route a drop cable into a dwelling, providing anaesthetically pleasing solution, and minimizing disruption to ahomeowner during installation.

SUMMARY

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, drop cableassembly with a removable installation device to facilitate routing apreterminated end of the assembly from an outdoor terminal directly toan indoor wall outlet is provided. The cable assembly includes apreterminated optical fiber drop cable having a connector body mountedon a terminal end thereof, and a removable installation device attachedto a jacket of the preterminated optical fiber drop cable by anattachment portion, wherein the attachment portion includes a pair oftear tabs that allows the tool-less removal of the installation devicefrom the preterminated optical fiber drop cable.

In a second embodiment a cable assembly is described that comprises apreterminated optical fiber drop cable having a connector body mountedon a terminal end thereof, and a removable installation device attachedto the preterminated optical fiber drop cable, wherein the installationdevice is a push-pull device comprising a pulling sock and a pushingdevice separably attached to a front end of the pulling sock.

In a third embodiment of the a cable assembly, the cable assemblycomprises a preterminated optical fiber drop cable having a connectorbody mounted on a terminal end thereof; and a removable installationdevice attached a jacket of the preterminated optical fiber drop cableby an attachment portion. The attachment portion includes a sleeveportion and an adhesive portion, wherein the sleeve portion includes twolongitudinal slits extending from a first end of the sleeve to a secondend of the sleeve to divide the sleeve into two half shell portions toallow tool-less removal of the installation device from thepreterminated optical fiber drop cable.

The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describeeach illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the presentinvention. The figures and the detailed description that follows moreparticularly exemplify these embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary fiber drop cable assembly with a removableinstallation device according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are two views of an exemplary fiber drop cable utilizedfor the cable assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the first end of a preterminated fiber drop cable accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of the parts used to make the cableassembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are two views of an attachment portion useful for theexemplary cable assemblies according to the present invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are two views of an alternative fiber drop cableassembly with a removable installation device according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 shows the peeling of the jacket of a fiber drop cable of thecable assembly of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary application for drop cable assembly ofthe present description.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate an alternative exemplary application for dropcable assembly of the present description.

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternativeforms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in thedrawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood,however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments,reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustratespecific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. Theillustrated embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive of allembodiments according to the invention. It is to be understood thatother embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes maybe made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thefollowing detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in alimiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by theappended claims.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing feature sizes,amounts, and physical properties used in the specification and claimsare to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term“about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numericalparameters set forth in the foregoing specification and attached claimsare approximations that can vary depending upon the desired propertiessought to be obtained by those skilled in the art utilizing theteachings disclosed herein.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singularforms “a,” “an,” and “the” encompass embodiments having pluralreferents, unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used inthis specification and the appended claims, the term “or” is generallyemployed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearlydictates otherwise.

Spatially related terms, including but not limited to, “proximate,”“distal,” “lower,” “upper,” “beneath,” “below,” “above,” and “on top,”if used herein, are utilized for ease of description to describe spatialrelationships of an element(s) to another. Such spatially related termsencompass different orientations of the device in use or operation inaddition to the particular orientations depicted in the figures anddescribed herein. For example, if an object depicted in the figures isturned over or flipped over, portions previously described as below orbeneath other elements would then be above those other elements.

The terms “buffered” optical fiber and “buffer coated” optical fiber maybe used interchangeably throughout the description.

The term “premises” can refer to any building including an apartmentbuilding or multi-dwelling unit, a school or college building, an officebuilding, a hotel, a hospital or other location requiring a finalservice drop to a customer. In addition, the term “living space” is notlimited to a domicile or residence, but can include an office,conference room, hotel room, hospital room, school room or other similarroom, whether or not continuously occupied. The cable assembly describedherein are designed to provide telecommunications service withinindividual living units, such as residences, classrooms, or offices,within the building.

The present invention is directed to a fiber drop cable assembly with aremovable installation device to facilitate routing a preterminated endof the assembly from an outdoor terminal directly to an indoor walloutlet inside the home or other premises. Further, new cable assembliesallow routing and simple tool-less removal of installation tooling andthe weather protected outdoor jacket, to expose smaller, subunit or 900μm fiber only segments that can be routed and attached to the wall untilthe drop cable reaches the indoor wall outlet.

In particular, the exemplary cable assembly comprises a preterminatedjacketed drop cable having an optical fiber connector body disposed atone end and the removable installation device pre-installed over theconnector body. In one exemplary aspect, the removable installationdevice can be a pull sock with pull/tear tab configured for easy removalof the installation device without tools or a ripcord. In anotheraspect, the removable installation device can be a pull sock havingseparable push device attached to the nose of the pull sock. In a thirdaspect, the removable installation device can be protective sleevedisposed over a connector body at the preterminated end of the dropcable assembly, wherein the drop cable jacket has been opened to exposea short unjacketed portion of the drop cable just behind the connectorbody, which will allow the installer to easily peel off the cable jacketto expose unjacketed portion of the drop cable for routing inside thepremises.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary fiber drop cable assembly 100 with a removableinstallation device 120. Drop cable assembly 100 includes apreterminated fiber drop cable 50 having an optical fiber connector body(not shown) disposed at one end, (i.e. first end or the indoor end),wherein the removable installation device is installed over theconnector body and attaches to a jacket of fiber drop cable behind theconnector body. In one embodiment, the exemplary cable assembly can bean indoor/outdoor cable assembly that runs from the network interfacedevice disposed on an exterior wall of the premises to the wall outletor optical network terminal inside the premises. In an alternativeembodiment, the exemplary cable assembly can be an indoor cable assemblythat runs through a conduit from an equipment closet to an end user'sliving space in an apartment or office building.

In one embodiment, fiber drop cable assembly 100 can be preterminated atone end, the indoor or first end, of the drop cable. In this case, thefiber at the outdoor or second end of the drop cable can be spliced to anetwork fiber via a splice or field mount connection disposed in a dropterminal or a network interface device.

In an alternative embodiment, both the indoor end and the outdoor end(i.e. the first end and the second end) can be preterminated. In oneexemplary aspect, the exemplary cable assembly can accommodate standardformat optical fiber connector on both ends of the drop cable, such asSC or LC format connectors. Alternatively, the exemplary cable assemblycan have a standard format optical fiber connector on the indoor end andcan gave a ruggedized connector mounted on the outdoor end of the dropcable. An exemplary ruggedized connector is described in United StatesPatent Publication No. 2014/0355936, and U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/257,034, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, fiber drop cable 50 includes an opticalfiber 51 surrounded by a buffer layer 53 and a removable jacket 54formed around the buffer layer. The fiber drop cable may also includetwo strength members 55 that are positioned within the removable jacket54 on opposite sides of optical fiber 51. In some embodiments, thestrength member 55 may be polymer rods. The polymer rods may be solelypolymer, or may be glass reinforced polymer rods, carbon fiberreinforced polymer rods, or polyaramide (e.g., products sold under thetrade designation KEVLAR) reinforced polymer rods. Alternatively, fiberdrop cable in the drop cable assembly can comprise assembly 100 asdescribed in commonly owned and assigned United States Publication No.2016-0116699, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Optical fiber 51 may be a conventional optical fiber having aconventional diameter of approximately 250 microns. The optical fiber isgenerally a standard optical fiber with a glass optically transmissiveportion 51 a having a diameter of approximately 125 microns, and anacrylate coating 51 b surrounding the glass, the acrylate coating havinga thickness of approximately 62.5 microns, such that the diameter of theentire “optical fiber” is 250 microns. The diameter of the optical fibersurrounded by the buffer layer, which takes into account both theoptical fiber and the buffer layer, may in some embodiments be between250 (nominal) and 700 microns, or between 450 and 550 microns, orpotentially between 490 and 510 microns, or between 550 microns and 650microns, or potentially between 590 and 610 microns. In anotherembodiment, the diameter of the buffer coated optical fiber may bebetween 800 and 1000 microns, or between 850 microns and 950 microns, orpotentially between 890 and 910 microns. However, although not shown inthe figures, in some embodiments, there may be no buffer layer aroundthe optical fiber.

To aid in removing the jacket 54, the jacket may include at least oneindentation 56 (or potentially multiple indentations) as illustrated inFIG. 2A. The indentation(s) 56 are positioned proximate the buffercoated optical fiber and run along the cable assembly's axis, allowingfor the jacket to be removed more easily and consistently expose thebuffer coated optical fiber along its length. Alternatively, the fiberdrop cable assembly may include a pull string (not shown) that ispositioned within the jacket and runs parallel to the optical fiber. Thepull string may be used to open the jacket when pulled by a user.

FIG. 2B clearly illustrates jacket 54 in the process of being removedfrom the buffer coated optical fiber (fiber 51 and buffer layer 53). Thejacket separates at indention 56 into two peeled jacket portions 54 a,54 b shown on either side of an exposed buffer coated optical fiber. Thejacket can removed by hand or with a tool. In some embodiments, theremovable jacket 54 may be formed from a polymer material, such aspolyethylene. Other materials may also be suitable materials for theprimary jacket, such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), TPE,neoprene, polyurethane or fluoropolymers such as FEP and PFA. Jacket 54can, in one preferred embodiment, be both durable and weatherable. Assuch, one particularly appropriate material for jacket 54 may be UVstabilized polyethylene material. In some embodiments, the jacket 54 mayalso be abrasion resistant. The jacketed fiber is intended to beruggedized for potential exposure to the elements, and is often timesconspicuously colored black for superior outdoor UV resistance. Theseproperties can create negative visual impact if the jacketed cable isrouted with the jacket on into a dwelling. Thus, it is desirable toremove the jacket upon entry into the dwelling. In one embodiment, thejacket may be coated with a low friction fluorochemical coating, such asdescribed in commonly owned and assigned International Publication No.WO 2015/081511, so that it can easily be pulled through the entry pointinto the dwelling.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary connector body 70 mounted on the end of fiberdrop cable 50 in the factory. The terminal end of the optical fiber issecured in the connector body by either an adhesive or mechanical means.The connector body 70 when combined with an appropriate outer housing 80can be a conventional industry standard connector such as an SC APCconnector. The outer housing is snapped onto the connector body afterthe pre-terminated drop cable has been installed. The connector body canbelong to connectors such as a SC, ST, FC, or LC format connectors, toname a few, and may be, for example, either a positive contact (PC) oran angled polished connector (APC) type of connector. In one aspect, theexemplary connector body can belong to a standard factory mount epoxyconnector. In another aspect, the exemplary connector body can belong toa connector such as, 3M™ No Polish Connector SC Plug, 3M™ Hot Melt LCConnector, and 3M™ CRIMPLOK™ ST SM 126 UM Connector, each of which isavailable from 3M Company (St. Paul, Minn.).

Removable installation device 120 can be a pulling sock 130 and aseparable pushing portion/device 140 attached to a nose portion 131 ofthe pull sock portion as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The pulling sockprotects the preterminated end of the fiber drop cable 50 andfacilitates pulling the drop cable through conduits, if required. Theseparable pushing device is a rigid device that facilitates installingthe preterminated drop cable through small holes and passages that canaccommodate the bend radius of the pushing device.

Pulling sock 130 includes a tubular body 133, a nose portion 131disposed at one end of the tubular body portion, a flexible pulling loop132 attached to the tubular body portion by the nose portion, and anattachment portion 135 attached to the other end of the tubular bodyportion opposite the nose portion. The flexible pulling loop 132 can beformed from a piece of string, cord, yarn, or wire. In an exemplaryaspect, the flexible pulling loop can be formed from an aramid yarn. Inanother aspect, the material used to for the flexible pulling loop canbe slipped into a piece of reinforcing tube prior to being attached tothe tubular body. In yet another aspect, the flexible loop can be formedfrom a piece of furcation tubing. The nose portion is formed to extendover a first end of the tubular body on one side, securing the flexibleloop to the tubular body.

The tubular body is sized to be larger than the connector body that willbe disposed within it to protect the pre-terminated end of the fiberdrop cable without exerting any force on the connector body. In anexemplary aspect, the tubular body can be formed from a wovencollapsible sleeve.

The attachment portion is configured to attach the pull sock to thecable jacket 54 of the drop cable. In an exemplary aspect, theattachment portion can be slit through along the longitudinal axis ofthe attachment portion with the slit extending part of the distancebetween the terminal end of the attachment portion and the end of thetubular body when the pulling sock is secured to the drop cable over theconnector body, the slit sections of the attachment portions will becometear tabs 135 c to facilitate removal of the pull sock from the cablewhen it is no longer needed. In the exemplary aspect shown in FIG. 5A,two slits were made into the attachment portion before it was installedon the cable forming two tear tabs after the pull sock is attached tothe drop cable. In an exemplary aspect, the slits can be between about12 mm to about 20 mm long. The tear tabs create an initiation point forpeeling back the attachment without using a tool.

Because the attachment portion of the removable installation device isattached to the cable jacket of the fiber drop cable, the connectorbody, which is disposed within the installation device does experiencean appreciable tensile loading on the connector body when pushed orpulled during cable installation.

The nose portion 131 and the attachment portion 135 can be formed from apre-expanded collapsible sleeve. In an exemplary aspect, thepre-expanded collapsible sleeve can be a short length of internallyadhesive coated heat shrink tubing, such as 3M™ Heat Shrink EPS 300available from 3M Company (St. Paul, Minn.).

Pushing device 140 can be in the form of a rigid tube or a rigid rodhaving a hollow at one end to accommodate the connector body in thefirst end of the preterminated drop cable.

The pushing device, although rigid, is preferably thin walled as to notsignificantly increase the diameter of the hole to be drilled to allowthe passage of the preterminated drop cable into the premises. Thepushing device can include a first guiding end 142 to facilitate guidingthe pushing device through a small opening or passageway. The pushingdevice can used to push the connector body through a hole, straightconduit, or straight passage, wherein the hole has a diameter of lessthan 0.4 inches. Alternatively, the pushing device can used to push therigid connector body through a hole, straight conduit, or straightpassage, wherein the hole is less 20% larger than the connector body. Inyet another aspect, a first end of the fiber cable assembly can fitthrough a ⅜ in. hole or passage.

In an exemplary aspect the pushing device can be, for example, a 5/16 inopen or closed rigid tube made of poly(ethylene terephthalate), orglycol modified poly(ethylene terephthalate). The first guiding end canbe formed by melting and shaping the end of the plastic tube such thatthe tube has a radiused first end, a conical first end, or an angledfirst end. In an alternative aspect, the pushing device can have a flator blunt first end. The inside diameter of the plastic tube should besufficient to allow insertion of the nose portion of the pulling sock.In some embodiments, the inside diameter of the plastic tube should besufficient to allow insertion of the connector body disposed on aterminal end (for example, the indoor end) of the fiber drop cable.

To assemble an exemplary cable assembly, a length of fiber drop cable,for example, a piece of FRP cable of the desired length, is selected.For example the FRP can be cut to a 25 ft. length, a 50 ft. length, a100 ft. length or any other desired length. The original length of thefiber drop cable may be slightly longer than the final desired length toensure an adequate amount of cable for the cable terminationprocedure(s).

A section of the drop cable jacket 54 (FIG. 2A) is removed at the firstend or the indoor end of the fiber drop cable by making a small cut inthe end of the cable between the opposing indentions 56 on the top andbottom sides of the cable. The cable jacket can then be separated in twohalves or peeled jacket portions 54 a, 54 b along the indentionslongitudinally along the drop cable to expose about 10 cm of the 900 μmtight buffered fiber. Peeled jacket portion 54 a is cut to 12 mm fromthe jacket split point 57 shown in FIG. 2B. About 75 mm of the bufferlayer 53 is stripped off the terminal end of the exposed tight bufferedfiber and then the acrylate coating layer 51 b is removed to leave abare glass fiber 51 a, such that there is 16 mm of bare glass fiberexposed after stripping.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 (shown in the assembled form), the strainrelief tube/crimp ring assembly 73 is threaded onto the fiber until itbottoms out against the unsplit cable jacket. The exposed bare glassportion 51 a (FIGS. 2A and 2B) is then inserted into a standard epoxyfilled SC/APC connector body disposed in a load adaptor. The end of thestrain relief tube/crimp ring assembly is crimped onto the crimp area 71of the SC/APC connector body. The connector body with the attachedstrain relief tube is pushed onto the cable so that the end of thebuffer layer 53 bottoms out against the ferrule 75 within the connectorbody. The connector body and optical fiber can be stabilized through theremaining portions of the connectorization process by taping the strainrelief tube 74 to peeled jacket portion 54 b with a first piece of tape(not shown). Peeled jacket portion 54 b can be trimmed so that it endsat about the shoulder of the crimp ring. The second peeled portion 54 acan be trimmed just beyond the end of the strain relief tube 74. Theepoxy adhesive in the connector body is then cured using standardconditions known in the art. The terminal end of the optical fiberextending from the ferrule of the connector body can be trimmed andpolished using conventional factory finishing techniques. Other opticalfiber connectors, such as SC-UPC, or LC, can be utilized.

To assemble the installation device onto the preterminated fiber dropcable (FIG. 4), a pulling sock preform comprises a flexible pulling loop132 formed from a piece 3.0 mm reinforced furcation tubing where theKevlar has been exposed at each end and is attached to the tubular bodyportion by the nose portion formed by collapsing a collapsible sleeve131 a, for example, a piece of ⅜ in. 3M™ Heat Shrink EPS 300 availablefrom 3M Company (St. Paul, Minn.). The adhesive within the piece of heatshrink melts and flows around the end of the flexible loop and theexposed Kevlar yarn and the tubular body as it shrinks locking themtogether. The tubular body 133 can be formed from an approximately 20 cmlong piece of ½″ dia. pulling sock netting. The connector body andoptical fiber can be stabilized by applying a second piece of tapearound the crimp and peeled jacket portion 54 b. Optionally, the firstpiece of tape can be removed from the strain relief tube and peeledportion 54 b.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B, the attachment portion will be formedby a second collapsible sleeve 135 a, for example, a piece of 3M™ HeatShrink EPS 300 that is between about 1.5 in. and about 2 in. long. Twoslits 135 b are cut on opposite sides at one end to the piece of heatshrink. The attachment portion of the heat shrink is threaded into thetubular sleeve such that the slits in the heat shrink are orientedtoward the open end of the tubular sleeve. The connector body 70 of thepreterminated fiber drop cable 50 is inserted into the open end of thetubular sleeve until the connector body is in the middle of the tubularbody. The tubular body is longitudinally aligned with the preterminatedfiber drop cable. While maintaining the alignment, the heat shrink forthe attachment portion is slid to down over the open end of the tubularbody, such that an unslit portion on the heat shrink material isdisposed over the end of the tubular body and the jacket 54 of the fiberdrop cable adjacent to the end of the tubular body. Heat is applied andthe heat shrink tubing for the attachment portion is shrunk onto thetubular sleeve and the optimal fiber drop cable and simultaneouslyforming the tear tabs 135 c (that will facilitate removal of the pullingsock). Using a Slice Precision Cutter or equivalent, the heat shrinkmaterial of the attachment portion is cut through on both sides startingfrom the end of the slit that formed the pull tabs all of the way to theend of the tube disposed on the tubular body, creating a tearpropagation path along each side of the attachment potion which allowsthe attachment portion to be peeled away from the cable jacket. Theadhesive from the heat shrink material will ensure that everythingcontinues to be held in place.

The flexible loop 132 can be threaded into a pushing device 140, and thepushing device can be pushed onto the nose portion 131 of pulling sock130 until it is secured in place as shown in FIG. 1. An outer housingfor the connector body can be attached to the exemplary cable assembly,e.g. by a twist tie, for later installation onto the connector bodyafter the preterminated fiber drop cable is installed at the customerpremises. The exemplary cable assembly 100 can be coiled and bagged forshipment to the customer.

Optionally, a second optical fiber connector can be mounted on thesecond or outdoor end of the fiber drop cable. A section of the dropcable jacket 54 (FIG. 2A) is removed at the first end or the indoor endof the fiber drop cable by making a small cut in the end of the cablebetween the opposing indentions 56 on the top and bottom sides of thecable. The cable jacket can then be separated in two halves or peeledjacket portions 54 a, 54 b along the indentions longitudinally along thedrop cable to expose about 30 cm of the 900 μm tight buffered fiber. Thepeeled jacket portions are removed leaving about 1 in. still attachedthe fiber drop cable. A 3.0 mm furcation tube is slid over the 900 μmtight buffered fiber so that the furcation tube to overlap with FRP rodsby a little bit placing the two Kevlar yarn bundles on either side ofthe FRP cable. A piece of ¼ in. 3M™ Heat Shrink EPS 300 can be slid overfurcation joint, aligned with the FRP cable and collapsed. A piece of ¼in. non adhesive heat shrink material such as 3M™ Heat Shrink FP-301 isthen slid the furcation joint such that extends over the furcation tube,the first piece of heat shrink and a the end of the jacketed portion ofthe fiber drop cable and collapsed.

The 900 μm tight buffer is cut 30 mm (1- 3/16 in.) from end of furcationtube. The buffer layer and the acrylate coating layer 51 b are removedto leave about 16 mm of exposed bare glass fiber. A standard SC/APCepoxy connector is attached onto the prepared second end of the fiberdrop cable using a conventional process.

In another embodiment, the exemplary removable installation device canbe a pushing device attached to the indoor end of the fiber drop cableby an attachment portion that includes a pair of tear tabs that enablesthe tool-less removal of the pushing device from the preterminated fiberdrop cable.

In an alternative embodiment, the exemplary removable installationdevice can be a simple pulling sock 130 as described above with respectto FIG. 1 that is attached to the indoor end of the fiber drop cable 50by an attachment portion 135 that includes a pair of tear tabs 135 cthat enables the tool-less removal of the pushing device from thepreterminated fiber drop cable.

In a third embodiment of the cable assembly as shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B and7, cable assembly 200 has a preterminated optical fiber drop cable 50having a connector body 70 mounted on a terminal end thereof; and aremovable installation device attached a jacket of the preterminatedoptical fiber drop cable by an attachment portion 235, wherein theexemplary removable installation device is a pushing device 240 asdescribed above with respect to pushing device 140 shown in FIG. 1. Theattachment portion includes a sleeve portion and an adhesive portion,wherein the sleeve portion has two longitudinal slits 235 b extendingfrom a first end of the sleeve to a second end of the sleeve to dividethe sleeve into two half shell portions 235 d to allow tool-less removalof the installation device from the preterminated optical fiber dropcable.

The preterminated fiber drop cable is prepared as provided above. Next,the attachment portion is applied onto fiber drop cable 50. A piece of ¼in. 3M™ Heat Shrink EPS 300 can be slid over a furcation joint, alignedwith the FRP cable and collapsed. A piece of ¼ in. non adhesive heatshrink material such as 3M™ Heat Shrink FP-301 is then slid in thefurcation joint such that it extends over the furcation tube, the firstpiece of heat shrink and the end of the jacketed portion of the fiberdrop cable and collapsed.

The attachment portion can be formed from a buildup of one morecollapsible tubes until it has the desired diameter, which can beslightly greater than or equal to the interior diameter of the exemplarypushing device 240. For example, a first piece of adhesive coated heatshrink can be collapsed onto the cable jacket of the fiber drop cable atthe desired position behind the connector body 70. A second longer pieceof a heat shrink sleeve can be centered over the first piece of heatshrink and then collapsed. This process can be repeated withsuccessively longer pieces of heat shrink material until the desiredsize is reached. Using a Slice Precision Cutter or equivalent, theattachment portion is longitudinally slit through on both sides alongthe length of the attachment to make a tear propagation path.

Once the fiber drop cable 50 has been routed into the house, pushingdevice 240 is removed from an end of the fiber drop cable and the fiberjacket 54 is removed to facilitate routing the drop cable inside of thecustomer premises or house. The installer grasps peeled portions 54 a,54 b and pulls them apart exposing the buffer coated optical fiber whichis then routed to the desired final location. In this embodiment, theattachment portion splits along the tear propagation path formed by thetwo longitudinal slits through attachment potion 235 (i.e. such that onehalf shell portion 235 d is attached to peeled jacket portion 54 a andthe second half shell portion is attached peeled jacket portion 54 b asshown in FIG. 7).

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary application for drop cable assembly ofthe present description. A house is shown having a terminal 312positioned on an external wall 302. In one aspect, terminal 312 can be anetwork interface device. A fiber drop cable 50 is routed from theterminal 312 to an entrance point 306. The drop cable 50 is jacketed andweatherproofed and is routed to an entrance point 306 through which thefiber passes into the interior of the house. Alternatively, the fiberdrop cable assembly may be attached to the exterior wall of the houseusing a number of conventional means, including stapling, cable clamps,or can be routed within a conduit.

Drop cable 50 may need to enter a building, attic, stairwell ormulti-dwelling, or may need to be routed underground. For theseinstallations, it may be pulled through a conduit—hard metal tubing orflexible micro duct.

An entrance point 306 may be made by drilling a small hole or passagethrough an exterior wall of the house. A cable assembly 100, 200outfitted with a rigid pushing device (140, 240) tube is pushed throughthe entrance point 306 to the inside of the house 302 (see FIG. 9C).After the pushing device enters the house 302, it is pulled from insidethe living space. The pushing device can then be removed from the end ofthe cable assembly and the pulling sock 130, if present and no longerneeded, can be removed by grasping and peeling the tear tabs 135 c ofthe attachment portion to separate the pulling sock from the drop cable50. Removing the jacket of the fiber drop cable exposes the bufferedoptical fiber (shown as fiber 304 in FIG. 8), which can be routed withinthe interior of the living space between the entrance point and anoutlet 322 by either attaching it to a mounting surface via an adhesiveor by using placing the buffered optical fiber in a trach attached to amounting surface as described in commonly owned United States PatentPublication No. 2016-0116699, herein incorporated by reference.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrates another an exemplary application for drop cableassembly 100. The pushing device can be removed from the nose of thepulling sock and the pulling sock can be used to install fiber dropcable 50 from distribution terminal 330 to remote terminal 312 through aconduit 340. Alternatively, though not shown, the cable may be routeddirectly from the building entrance point 306 underground through aconduit and routed directly to terminal 330.

A pull string 80 can be run through conduit 340 and can be tied to theflexible pulling loop 132 at the first end of the conduit. The pullstring is pulled from the second end of the conduit until the drop cableemerges from second end of the conduit. The drop cable can then berouted to terminal box 312 (if present) for slack storage and cablestrain relief and the routed to the entrance point 306 into the house.

Entrance point 306 may be made by drilling a small hole or passagethrough an exterior wall of the house. Pushing device 140 can beinstalled on the nose portion of the pulling sock. The pushing device140 is pushed through the entrance point 306 to the inside of the house(see FIG. 9C). After the pushing device enters the house 302, it ispulled from inside the living space. The pushing device can then beremoved from the end of the cable assembly and the pulling sock 130 canbe removed by grasping and peeling the tear tabs 135 c of the attachmentportion to separate the pulling sock from the drop cable 50. Removingthe jacket of the fiber drop cable exposes the buffered optical fiber(shown as fiber 304 in FIG. 9A) which can be routed within the interiorof the living space as described above.

Advantageously, the exemplary fiber cable assembly can facilitaterouting the first end of the preterminated fiber drop cable through avery small space. For example, the exemplary fiber cable assembly canguided through a hole, conduit, or passage, wherein the hole has adiameter of less than 0.4 inches. Alternatively, the exemplary fibercable assembly can guided through a hole, conduit, or passage, that isless 20% larger than the connector body.

Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerousstructures to which the present invention may be applicable will bereadily apparent to those of skill in the art to which the presentinvention is directed upon review of the present specification.

We claim:
 1. A cable assembly, comprising: a preterminated optical fiberdrop cable having a connector body mounted on a terminal end thereof;and a removable installation device attached to a jacket of thepreterminated optical fiber drop cable by an attachment portion, whereinthe attachment portion includes tear tabs that provides tool-lessremoval of the installation device from the preterminated optical fiberdrop cable.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector body isdisposed within the installation device such that the installationdevice does not exert any tensile loading on the connector body whenpushed or pulled.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the installationdevice is a push-pull device comprising a pulling sock and a pushingdevice separably attached to a front end of the pulling sock.
 4. Theassembly of claim 1, wherein the installation device is a pushingdevice.
 5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the pushing device is arigid tube used to push the rigid connector body through a straightpassage, wherein the passage has a diameter of less than 0.4 inches. 6.The assembly of claim 4, wherein the pushing device is a rigid tube usedto push the rigid connector body through a straight passage, wherein thepassage has a diameter of less than 0.4 inches.
 7. The assembly of claim3, wherein the pushing device is a rigid tube used to push the rigidconnector body through a straight passage, wherein the passage is less20% larger than the connector body.
 8. The assembly of claim 4, whereinthe pushing device is a rigid tube used to push the rigid connector bodythrough a straight passage, wherein the passage is less 20% larger thanthe connector body.
 9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a first end ofthe assembly can fit through a ⅜ in. hole.
 10. The assembly of claim 2,wherein a first end of the assembly can fit through a ⅜ in. hole. 11.The assembly of claim 1, wherein the installation device is a protectiondevice disposed over a connector body at the preterminated end of thedrop cable assembly to protect an exposed, unjacketed portion of thedrop cable adjacent to a backend of the connector body.
 12. The assemblyof claim 1, wherein the attachment portion is formed from a pre-expandedcollapsible sleeve with one or more longitudinal slits.
 13. The assemblyof claim 9, wherein the pre-expanded collapsible sleeve comprises apiece of adhesive-coated heat shrink tubing.
 14. A cable assembly,comprising: a preterminated optical fiber drop cable having a connectorbody mounted on a terminal end thereof; and a removable installationdevice attached to the preterminated optical fiber drop cable, whereinthe installation device comprises a push-pull device comprising apulling sock and a pushing device separably attached to a front end ofthe pulling sock.
 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the pulling sockcomprises a tubular body, a nose portion disposed at the front end ofthe tubular body portion, a flexible pulling loop attached to thetubular body portion by the nose portion, and an attachment portionattached to the other end of the tubular body portion opposite the noseportion.
 16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the attachment portion issecured to a cable jacket of the fiber drop cable and includes tear tabsthat provides tool-less removal of the installation device from thepreterminated optical fiber drop cable.
 17. The assembly of claim 15,wherein the attachment portion is formed from a pre-expanded collapsiblesleeve with one or more longitudinal slits.
 18. The assembly of claim16, wherein the attachment portion is formed from a pre-expandedcollapsible sleeve with one or more longitudinal slits.
 19. The assemblyof claim 17, wherein the pre-expanded collapsible sleeve comprises apiece of adhesive-coated heat shrink tubing.
 20. A cable assembly,comprising: a preterminated optical fiber drop cable having a connectorbody mounted on a terminal end thereof; and a removable installationdevice attached to a jacket of the preterminated optical fiber dropcable by an attachment portion, wherein the attachment portion includesa sleeve portion and an adhesive portion, wherein the sleeve portionincludes two longitudinal slits extending from a first end of the sleeveto a second end of the sleeve to divide the sleeve into two half shellportions to provide tool-less removal of the installation device fromthe preterminated optical fiber drop cable.